Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Over the Nexus - Ark Cradle Aftermath
by GunnerDragon
Summary: One-shot. Based in Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Over the Nexus. After the Ark Cradle has disappeared, Kaze returns to Team Shining Storm's garage to reflect on what he lost in the Ark Cradle. (OCXMisaki).


Just a disclaimer to say, that Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me. All characters are owned by others. I'm merely using them in this fanfic for fun.

 **Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Over the Nexus – Ark Cradle Aftermath**

The rain poured down as Kaze shuffled through the streets towards Team Shining Storm's garage. His brown hair was plaster to his face, his signature red hat having been taken away above on the Ark Cradle. His red shirt was darkened by the rain as he started to lift up the shutters to the door before walking in out of the downpour. He had slipped out of the victory party in Team 5D's garage, not wanting to spoil the party for his friends.

After everything he had been through on the Ark Cradle he didn't exactly feel like celebrating, even though he and Yusei were successful in fending off Zone and saving the future. They had suffered their share of losses up there, something that was driven home as he looked at Misaki's Duel Runner that was left behind in the garage's dark corner.

Once she revealed her true self, she had no need for the White Chimera with the Omega Hawk Duel Runner around. The garage seemed strange without her in it. No matter where he looked, there were memories of her flooding back to Kaze. The spot she, Toru and he would eat takeaways in. The place she would pace as she tried to think of ways to perfect their Duel Runners in. The tools she would hit him and Toru with when they started slacking off.

He walked across the garage, his wet boots squelching with every step, towards a shelf that contained her stuffed Lion toy. He remembered winning her that at a fair that Toru had taken them to for some team bonding. He remembered how her red eyes lit up when she had seen it and her adorable smile as she awkwardly thanked him.

He placed it back down as something else caught his eye. Gently, he picked up the frame as he looked at the three beaming faces looking back at him. The photo of them was taken after the first tournament they had won as a team. The memories of the hard fought duels against all the other teams flooded back. The younger version of him was so happy to finally have started his quest of being a champion Turbo Duelist. He had believed in the limitless potential of his teammates.

That had all seemed so long ago. Before he knew about Ylliaster, before Crash Town become Satisfaction Town, before he won the WRGP alongside the Toru and Misaki. Before he had learned of Misaki true identity as a member of Ylliaster. The months had become a blur as he headed into so many must win duels. The notion of dueling for fun and honour was a foreign concept to him now. He lost that up on the Ark Cradle as well.

Kaze felt a tear trickle down his cheek before it landed with a soft splat on the picture frame. He felt so much pain when Misaki challenged him to a duel to the death that he thought his heart would break. Kaze knew he had to push through and see his mission to help Yusei and Team 5D's save the future and Neo Domino City through to the end. It didn't make what had come next any easier though. The calm look of acceptance on her face when he ended the duel was enough to haunt him in his nightmares.

The last words he had spoken to Misaki before they had headed up to the Ark Cradle rung in his head. " _We'll be standing together on the winning side when all this is over._ "

The amazing smile that stretched across her face as she answered was the most beautiful sight Kaze had ever seen. " _…Definitely. Make sure you make it back safe. No matter what._ "

He had reached out his hands to hold her hand in his as he looked her in the eyes. " _I promise._ "

More tears fell from his eyes and made their way to the photo frame. Kaze would never be able to forget her no matter what he tried. He would forever regret waiting so long to ask her out. He'd regret never confessing to her. The tears were turning into a steady stream now as he stood there in the damp garage, its walls becoming claustrophobic.

Misaki had taunted him and angered him until he let go of his restraints, unleashing his full power of the Omega Accel Synchro. She knew that Yusei alone wouldn't be able to stop Zone, so she made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that he would be ready to help his friend out. "Damn it, Misaki." He muttered under his breath. "Why did you have to leave me?"

The Speedroid user didn't even react as he heard the garage door open behind him. The sound of footsteps was the only sound in the garage besides the rain outside. Toru threw his arm over his childhood friend's shoulders. He didn't say a word. He knew that he didn't have to. His presence here was enough.

Kaze made no attempt to hide his tears from the taller blonde. "T-Thought I slipped out unnoticed?"

Toru barely raised his voice above a whisper. "We all saw you. Everyone just wanted to give you some time and space."

Kaze sadly smiled. "G-Guess I can't slip anything past you guys, huh?"

"You never could, bud."

Kaze started chuckling as he placed the photo back on the shelf before he turned to face Toru. He collapsed into his friend, tears running down his face. The blonde teen pulled his friend in for a hug, holding his shaking frame still. The sobs were tearing through his body as his howls echoed around the nearly empty garage.

Toru said nothing as he stood firm. He missed his friend as well, but he knew that Kaze was even closer to her. The two had grown to be practically inseparable in recent months. They would spend hours discussing everything from card related strategies to areas to fine tune on the Duel Runners and ways of doing so. Kaze's reluctance to hurt his friend was evident many times in their duel and nearly cost him on more than one occasion, despite believing her to be a turncoat.

After a few moments, Kaze had regained enough of his composure that he was able to get out a sentence. "Toru, tell me I did the right thing. Tell me sacrificing Misaki to save the world was the right thing. Should I have sacrificed myself to save her?"

Toru was stunned by his friend's questions. After a few moments of hesitation to collect his words, he spoke. "You did what you felt was right in a high-pressure situation with no time to think. No one blames you. Misaki certainly wouldn't."

Kaze scoffed at this. "How can you know that? Thanks to me she's not around to answer that question."

Toru rubbed his friend's wet hair as he pulled back to look him in the eyes. "If you think she would have wanted you to sacrifice yourself then you're wrong. I can't explain much about what happened up there, but I can tell you this: Misaki wanted you to live and shape the future. The future's blank, thanks to you and Yusei. Don't let her down now."

Kaze nodded, as he wiped his eyes. He knew Toru was right. Misaki was strong. She always was willing to make sacrifices to help Team Shining Storm advance. Now that she had made the ultimate sacrifice, he wouldn't let it go to waste. He would work to ensure a future that she could be proud of. A future where no one would have to make her sacrifice again. Where no one would feel their pain again.

The rain started to die down as the sun peered out. The pools on the ground glistened as clouds began to part. A rainbow formed in the distance as Kaze walked out of the garage to look at the clouds. The blue sky reminded him of her hair. The smell of lilacs in the air still hung around the garage. The winds softly blew ruffling his hair. If he listened closely he could hear it softly whisper.

" _Love you, Kaze._ "

 **{A/N}  
Just a short little one-shot. I always thought it was a shame that Over the Nexus ended before the Ark Cradle Arc. It had some good moments in the anime, so it'd have been fun to play through. Feel free to let me know you found this. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.**


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